Meijo Japanese Restaurant

The (mostly Vietnamese) people who run this place are a fun crowd. They keep things buzzing. They tell jokes. And (bottom line) it's affordable. Like their sushi mix — five different kinds of fish flesh on rice, plus nine sushi rolls, for about nine bucks. Or six-buck specials, such as teriyaki chicken with fried gyoza, or shrimp and beef curry. That and a bottle of sake will get you out, belly full, for around $10. The formula works: This place always seems to have a cheery crowd of locals, and the shelves bulge with those masu boxes that regulars drink sake out of.